prof_lofi

that's a good one, i think it's free now too...here it is: http://illformed.org/blog/glitch/

bill

I'm not in any way knowledgable in music software, but I got Ableton Live 7 and I'm having fun with it, though I'm struggling with sampling. Seems really complicated compared to just laying out some bass and beats.

I did try a few times, but it always seemed out of sync. I might just check out some youtube help vids.

What's so good about FL7? Is it similar to Cubase/Ableton?

hey darwin,

i don't use ableton for beats (though i do use it), but do you have the warp setting sussed out, as that will make a big difference on whether the beats are in sync or not...

bill

hey alan,

great, you're in

bill

I'd love to do this but, unfortunately, am away that weekend for work.

Any plans for a follow up course?

Hey ya,

Two quick things, looks like someone couldn't make it so that's another spot open.

And as to future workshops I'm hoping to do this again when possible. It all depends on funding and demand, but if all goes well, definitely! (Just not sure how soon, obviously due to the above.)

Maybe I should make a list of those interested who can't do this weekend and sign you up for another one somewhere else at a later time?

Bill

hey everyone,

glad for the good response. almost full. i'll do others if this fills up, and who knows, with funding i could maybe subsidize the fee and make it cheaper...we'll see

3 spots left...

bill

Hey Everyone,

I'm offering a beginning circuit bending workshop at Peacock Visual Arts on August 2nd and 3rd, and still have 5 spots left. For those of you unfamiliar with circuit bending, it's the practice of creating electronic music instruments/sculptures from toys, as well as hacking/re-purposing keyboards and other electronic music instruments. It's how I build many of the instruments I play in my live electronics set and use in my compositions/sound designs.

The basic idea is taking apart electronic/sound producing toys/cheap instruments and creating short circuits that are interesting and that produce results that you like, and then wiring these up with various controllers and switches and re-housing them in a new case or modifying the old one to fit the new components.

Here are some links to pages with some stuff I've built in case you've missed any of my sets:

http://www.billthompson.org/steim.htm

http://www.billthompson.org/mickelmasstunnels.htm

http://www.billthompson.org/pix/concretefour/P7261809.jpg

and some pretty dire youtube vids, but you'll get the picture (bad pun):

http://hk.youtube.com/user/innerd00r

The workshop costs 10/day (2 days) and you will need to bring two or three toys to hack as well as buy a few cheap components from Maplins that come to about 3 to 5 (all detailed in an email once I have a full roster).

The workshop is geared towards people who are interested in circuit bending but who have little or no experience working with hacked electronics. More advanced folks are welcome but should realize I'm focusing on fairly straight-forward bends/hacks and basic electronics to set you off on your journey.

I'll cover how to find bends, how to wire up inputs/outputs, potentiometers, light sensitive resisters (to create theramin-like controls), body contacts, and single and double throw switches.

The goal of the workshop is to give you the basic technical know-how to continue on your own after the workshop, as well as for you to leave with a basic instrument by the end of day 2 (each person's instrument will be unique as circuit bending is about discovery, not design-per say).

I'm doing this workshop fairly cheap as I was offering it to friends initially but still need 5 more to make it viable, but later workshops will likely cost much more just because it takes so much work to put this together etc.

So those interested, give me a shout and I'll put you on the list. You can pm me, or just send me an email at billthompson@billthompson.org

Oh, and btw, the workshop is appropriate for any age-8 to 80 (and yes, I've done it with a wide range) and no electronics experience is necessary (in a way, it's almost better to come in with as little preconceptions as possible!)

Talk soon,

Bill

ps...I have a small desire that this might eventually lead to a David Tudor-esque electronic orchestra of sorts if people are enthused.

--

http://billthompson.org/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundasart/

Experimental Music Radio at:

http://thefogonshmufm.blogspot.com/

........................................................................

"The more you think about things the weirder they seem." -Calvin

hello. has anyone got any advice on free drum loop software that i can download from the net? i would like to download a library/plugin more than just use a website that has thousands of individual loops that you have to download individually if you like them.

i might be a little retarded when it comes to this stuff too but this is why im trying to find out i spose. i use cubase to record my stuff and just need drums basically and drum loops are much better and easier than making my own patterns from scratch.

fanks folks!

heyya,

as most people have told you, computer music magazine and computer music tech are great resources...the recent special one has 100 free vst;s on their cd that will get you started. otherwise search KVR music, the biggest online resource of freeware-good forum too.

to get you started though, google/try these:

digidrum, dr-fusion, drumatic 3, drumsampler, ers drums, ephonic drumatic 1ve, gtg zapkit

best of luck,

bill

ps...you'll need something that can host vst's...audiomulch is great and you can get a demo version that will run for 60 days (google that as well)...or try plogue bidule too.

pss...I've been contemplating giving a workshop on how to make music with completely free software, and i wonder what other people's interest would be? say a one day workshop for a 10'r?

I should preface this by saying that I'm a fan of the Lemon Tree and I hope a soloution can be found BUT presumably the board/management came up with a business plan etc. They obviously haven't been able to deliver it, leading to the board having to go back to the council to ask for more cash.

How often could the council keep writing cheques? Shouldn't the board/management have "cut its cloth" to match the resources it was being given? Could it have scaled back some of the unquestionably admirable programmes you mentioned to prevent the situation we are in now?

Hi Bigsby,

Well, I can't really speak as a rep of the L.Tree as I was only responsible for my little part, but I do know it's a lot more complicated than that, though it's easy to see how that might look like the solution.

The money for each program is specific to that program, they are usually funded by a specific grant applied for by the Ltree for that project and managed, facilitated, and supported by the LTree Arts Org. In addition to facilitating/delivering the programs, a big part of the LTree's job is to manage the accounts of each of these programs and constantly be looking for the next grant to keep it going (and usually you have to find a different grant, or 'rebrand' your project as it's almost impossible to find funding to 'continue' a project, no matter how successful it is-stupidest thing about this job if you ask me.)

Anyway, cutting back the projects doesn't free up the money as they are only usable for that specific project (ie you can't use youth music funding to pay the bar staff etc). As someone said, if the LTree wasn't (by design) responsible to all these community arts projects (which means using it's resources to manage all the various grants accounts, scheduling all the in-house and outside activities, housing the projects and performances, chasing up new funding, processing disclosures, etc etc than maybe it could have been better able to run the 'venue' as a commercial endeavor, but then it would be shorting its obligation to facilitate those programs properly, which is it's mandate as an arts org...also, they'd have to explain to other funding bodies why they've accepted arts funding as a charitable organization and yet are overtly pursuing profit at the expense of its arts programs...not to mention that it wouldn't be the L.Tree, it'd be just another venue...)

Thing is, we were doing better this year than ever as far as I can tell. Had a great new staff, much better programming and marketing with good stuff on the horizon etc. If we would have received the Scot. Arts Council funding, none of this would have happened, we'd be on top. But without it, it's impossible really. Truth is, community arts and arts music isn't commercially viable, it just doesn't sell enough to be presented at the standard that the L.Tree was known for doing and that's probably the only truth you'll find in the art world.

Take Drakes for example.. Like many, it was my favorite venue here, and one of my favorite anywhere. They knew how hard it was to run a music venue in town, how almost impossible it was to deliver something that wasn't overtly commercial and still make ends meet. Even if Drakes had 'gone commercial' it would have had to scrape, as any venue does in town. What probably saves most are bar sales and appealing to the drunken masses. So if you take that situation, where you have to book bands at a price where you see a profit, bottom line, and then even then, you're struggling and competing with tons of other bars doing the same thing, and then add the expectation of-not just peppering it with community arts projects-but that being your main focus. Well, you see what I mean.

Just the arts org. side of things is immense, with multiple grants all with their own time scales and expiration dates and program obligations, hired staff, renewed fundings, program design and target outcomes etc etc. Add to that the venue aspect with 500 or so events to schedule a year, constant negotiations with outside artists, local bands, the community arts events (which is the L.Tree's priority), and then add a cafe, technical staff, ticket sales and box office, marketing, magazine and website, etc. All this was run by less than a dozen people, and of that, less than half were full time employees.

If the L.Tree has had problems breaking even since it opened, then maybe it's not that it hasn't been run properly, maybe it just costs more to run than the council is willing to admit and it's easier to blame it than address the situation. If that is the case, then the real question is what is an organization like the Lemon Tree, community arts organization and venue, worth to Aberdeen? What is Aberdeen's commitment to quality music, art, and its communities? And what are our expectations, what are we willing to accept? Is the fact that the culture gap between Liquid and the Music Hall is getting bigger each year and that it's becoming increasingly obvious that the only place to actually do something other than get completely pissed in Aberdeen is to go to a friend's flat or a movie ok?

I tell you what though, if my girlfriend wasn't starting her PhD here in a month, I'd be down the road in a heartbeat. How the third largest city in Scotland, the 'oil capital' of the UK can't afford to subsidize one decent arts organization and music venue that is obviously valued and known by people around the world is beyond me...Dundee:DCA, Edinburgh:RSA, Glasgow:CCA, Arches, Tramway, NewCastle: Sage etc etc.

"If you build it, they will come" and if you tear it down, most of them are outta here.

Bill

Best People I've ever worked with

What I don't think people on here understand is that we haven't just lost a music venue, we have just lost Scotland's leading arts organisations.

My first experience of The Lemon Tree goes back over a decade to when I was doing drumming workshops on a Saturday morning. I've also been to summer schools there and was a member of the Lemon Tree Youth Theatre since its inception. This gave me many opportunites including the chance to perform one of our productions in Glasgow in front of other young people from across Europe, MSPs, MPs and MEPs.

Since then, I've attended so many gigs. However, to an extent I agree with some people on here: there are still places to go for gigs in Aberdeen (albiet, nowhere near as suitable as The Lemon Tree was for folk / jazz / blues / traditional / experimental). This is not what it was all about though. WE HAVE LOST A VITAL ORGANISATION WHICH, TO A HUGE EXTENT, WILL TAKE ABERDEEN OFF THE CULTURAL TOURING MAP WHICH THE LEMON TREE HELPED TO GET US ON IN THE FIRST PLACE. There is now no professional small or medium scale theatre in Aberdeen which is capable of promoting the same quantity and quality of theatre / dance / comedy / kids' shows that they did.

You only have to look at the press's phenomomenal coverage on this story over the past couple of days. The Times, The Herald, The Scotsman, Radio Scotland, Radio 2, BBC One Scotland, STV and GMTV have all shown that they are appalled at this shock move.

Yesterday's Tom Morton show on BBC radio was dedicated to his own and listeners' fantastic memories of the place.

The Lemon Tree was set up 'to provide somewhere for artists that would not otherwise get the opportunity to play in Aberdeen' I wholeheartedly believe that they achieved this to the best of their ability, considering all the financial and pressure they have been in since day one.

I believe we must all fight to save what has become part of our cultural heritage. I have grown up with this place and don't want to imagine the faces of the disabled drama group when they are told they can no longer meet or the over 50s drama group or choir that they have nowhere to perform.

SAVE THE LEMON TREE - Save The Lemon Tree - Home

The best way forward, from what I can see, is to spread the word even more than we already have and let your employers know about the campaign!

Hi Everyone,

Been holding off posting because of how personally sensitive I feel about the loss of the Lemon Tree and all that it means to me. It's hard to read some of the comments here that seem naive at best, if not purposefully hurtful. But since I post here for all my shows, I guess it would be bad manners to not at least comment once on the situation.

First, this isn't going to be some balanced statement, not at all. I had a very personal stake in the Lemon Tree even if I saw it's flaws and handicaps. I've never worked with such amazing people. And seriously, I'm not just saying this out of some 'the ship is sinking, say something poetic' sensibility...It's sincere when I say that the staff there are some of the most genuine and committed people I've ever worked with.

But having said that, I do understand many of the comments on here, from the 'don't pump money into a leaky bucket' to the 'best venue Aberdeen's ever seen' and all the rest. At one time I've had most of those thoughts as well, and of course if you're only exposure to the Lemon Tree is as a music venue, how can you not see it in only these terms?

But much of that changed when I actually started working there. Now,---I know that's not an option that everyone can have and isn't the point, but once I was exposed to the shear volume and diversity of work that was occurring as a result of the Lemon Tree, I realized that most of my opinions were being formed from a very narrow perspective and misconception of what the Lemon Tree actually was and I had no idea of the scope and amount of work and love that the L.Tree pumped out to the community.

Yes, I said love and it might sound ridiculous hippy bullshit, but it's not, and I ain't no hippy-most of you who have strayed into one of my concerts know that. Yes there were amazing shows, yes famous artists played there, yes it's the top venue for local bands to aspire to etc. But that doesn't hold a candle to what the real value of the Lemon Tree was and what it was really achieving quietly and constantly behind the scenes, not asking for any pats on the back or accolades etc.

And that includes the drama groups with disabled people that wrote, performed, and organized their own plays. Want to talk about quality and commitment? They were top notch, and the Lemon Tree and staff were there to provide that experience to sold out audiences. Would a local bar do that? There's the seniors group that met every week with more enthusiasm than any local band I've ever seen...and not just choir and brass bands (who are there and excellent as well) but full on rock bands with 70 year olds giving it there all-who's going to step up to support these people? There's the puppet shows with world famous artists performing to hundreds of children who will always remember these events. There's the Thursday lunchtime gigs for up and coming bands. And there's the Youth Music development that I was coordinating that had some of the best tutors in Aberdeen giving lessons for free in the absolute worst areas of town to kids that really, I mean, REALLY needed it, need some hope and some opportunities.

This is what we've lost, this is the true shortsightedness of the council, this is what we should all be gasping about. I can't tell you how many times I was at one of these centers when kids had to freeze in their tracks until the community leader ran out to remove the drug needles littered across their path...Who's going to support these kids and provide them with opportunities to 'get out'? I mean, it goes on and on and on the amount of work like this that was pumping out into the community. And not a fucking word about that in the paper or on the radio...no, just 'Isn't it a shame we won't get to listen to xyz' on Wednesday nights.

So yeah, I think it sucks we lost a great venue, but I think it's a tragedy that we lost an amazing arts organization that really cared about it's community and the people it served, all the while having to labor against a mistaken identity as a commercial music venue. With the closing of the Lemon Tree I've spent most of the week telling the tutors that they won't be able to work with their kids, telling the community centers that their music programs are over, and next week I get to go and meet with all the kids across the city we've worked with and personally to try and explain why all of a sudden it's all over, and that's just my little slice. All the other arts development workers will have to do the same with their communities too.

The Lemon Tree was much more than a center or venue, it was a heart pumping support out into the community and supporting groups that really needed it, in ways that no other arts organization was doing, and none as well.

Bill

Hi Everyone,

Please feel very welcome to attend the next Burning Harpsichord event

(#4 ) featuring London artists Mark Wastell and Rhodri Davies, with

support from the recently formed percussion group Paella (who just

premiered three new works last week, and my unveil yet another one

by myself at this event!)

As usual, it's at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, Doors 7pm / Onstage

8pm 6. For more information visit the Lemon Tree website here

http://www.lemontree.org/music-harpsichord-wastell-davies.html

as well as the links below. This is the last BH of the year, and the

last sund gig as well, so please join us as we turn the corner on our

first year.

See you then,

Bill

Paella

Paella is a new music percussion ensemble combining traditional

percussion instruments

with found objects and electronics. The

ensemble includes Patrick Keenan, Len Wiltshire, and Kris Elliot,

joined occasionally by Bill Thompson. Performing works by John

Cage, David Revill, Brent Fariss, Travis Weller, and Bill Thompson,

the group seeks to explore the horizons of experimental music

opened by Cage and others.

Mark Wastell (tam tam, Indian harmonium)

Mark Wastell has been active in contemporary music

since 1995, making his initial concerts with the trio

IST (with Simon H. Fell and Rhodri Davies) and Chris

Burn's Ensemble. He is currently a member of a number

of leading ensembles including The Sealed Knot (with

Rhodri Davies and Burkhard Beins) and +minus (with

Graham Halliwell and Bernhard Gnter). Mark has

contributed to the free improvisation scene in Britian

through his perfomances, record shop sound 323, and

his publishing activity. He is constantly exploring

new territory with

his music.

Rhodri Davies (Harp)

Rhodri Davies is a harpist who confronts traditional

concepts of the harp through his use of preparations,

detuned, bowed and e-bowed strings. Much of Davies'

work explores the contradictory and complimentary flux

between composition and improvisation. He plays with

many groups that reflect this interest, notably, IST

(with Mark Wastell and Simon Fell) and Assumed

Possibilities (with Chris Burn, Phil Durrant and Mark

Wastell). Influenced by live electronics and

music-concrete he is particularly interested in

exploring noise, silence, texture and abstract sound

on his acoustic instrument.

www.rhodridavies.co.uk

Details:

http://www.lemontree.org/music-harpsichord-wastell-davies.html

http://www.sound-scotland.co.uk/site/diary2007/11_28@8pm.htm

Also,

Check out the new experimental radio program on

SHMUFM, The Fog:

The Fog

Dedicated to exploring the hazy realms of experimental

music, this 2

hour weekly program focuses on sound art and

experimental music from

the past, present, and near future. Interviews, live

studio sessions,

underground detritus, found recordings, live

electronics, field

recordings, and even an occasional blues track will

find themselves

blurred together by prof_lofi into a mixed bag of the

bizarre.

Sundays 10pm to Midnight. SHMUFM:

http://www.shmu.org.uk/shmufm.m3u

or in Aberdeen on 99.8 FM

http://billthompson.org/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundasart/

'...of memory and dreams.' out now on http://seventhings.co.uk

........................................................................

"The more you think about things the weirder they seem." -Calvin

Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

Hi everyone,

Please feel welcome to attend a concert featuring new percussion ensemble Paella. They use found objects, electronics, graphic scores, and full kits. They will be featuring three new works, two by Texas experimental composers Brent Fariss and Travis Weller, and one by David Revill, John Cage's biographer and composer. We will also be featuring a work by John Cage himself, using only found plant material. Definitely not a night t be missed! Doors at 7:15, music at 7:45 (sharp! so please be early), and best of all, free.

[For anyone interested, David Revill will be giving a talk at noon on the same day at the University of Aberdeen, McRobert Building, room 055.

Details here: http://www.sound-scotland.co.uk/site/diary2007/11_09@12pm.htm ]

Paella is gratefully supported by the sound festival, the Lemon Tree, and the University of Aberdeen, as well as by Rosemount Community Centre.

Here's the blurb (see you all there!)

Bill

Paella is a new music percussion ensemble combining traditional percussion instruments with found objects. The ensemble includes Patrick Keenan, Len Wiltshire, and Kris Elliot, joined occasionally by Bill Thompson. Performing works by John Cage, as well as premiering works by David Revill, Brent Fariss, and Travis Weller, the group seeks to explore the horizons of experimental music opened by Cage and others.

Friday 9 November 2007, 7.45pm

Picture Gallery, Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, Broad Street, Aberdeen

Tickets: Admission free

more info: http://www.sound-scotland.co.uk/site/diary2007/11_09@7.45pm.htm

experimental music, and again!

I wondered what 'The Fog' was on the shmufm schedule. Sounds really interesting and a great tribute to Mark who was a fantastic guy.

hey thanks everybody for your support...aberdeen IS getting better for all types of music. and yeah, for those that showed up to the gig and also tuned in to the fog, i (and the artists) really appreciate it.

by the way, a great gig is coming up this friday at marischall museum at 730. the new found object percussion group paella is performing three premieres and a john cage piece. one of the pieces is written by john cage's biographer and all in all should be a great night (if you listened to the fog yesterday, it was david revill who we had on-that is cage's biographer)...so please feel very welcome...it's free!

also, don't forget we have a great show at the lemon tree on november 28th, the next burning harpsichord event (with rhodri davies and mark wastell) and possibly paella performing a new work of mine, and another surprise etc...so, come for that! (check the lemon tree listing...i'll get it on this site soon too! or check my site as well: www.billthmpson.org for details.)

talk soon,

bill

Nice one, great to see Mark being remembered in such an appropriate way.

well, he totally deserved it...top notch guy!

Dear Friends,

I'm hosting a new radio program The Fog, (named in honour of the late

Mark Lawton for his work as an experimental artist and his

contribution at SHMU) dedicated to experimental music. The program is

hosted by Station House Media Unit (who on Oct. 20th received their FM

license). The broadcasting area is local to

Aberdeen, but you'll be able to hear it on line here as well:

http://www.shmu.org.uk/shmufm.m3u

I'll be featuring interviews and live sessions with visiting artists

that I host, as well as music by artists who submit new works from

around the world. The first program ran last night Oct 21st and featured

Mark's posthumous release The Fog in its entirety. I'll be sorting out a 'listen again' function even if it's from my own site.

Upcoming programs feature David Revill and his work with John Cage, and several other

interviews and sessions with visiting artists.

I accept submissions for anyone interested in getting work on air, but it must be experimental in nature. No guarantees, but if it fits the program I'll try to play it.

Send cds (clearly marked with artist's name and email/website) and

description to: Bill Thompson, 34 Bridge St, 2nd Floor, Aberdeen,

AB116JN...Sorry can't return 'em, and please make sure your package

will fit through a mail slot. No guarantees but I'll do my best to

play as much as fits the program, and each individual show. We're

looking for experimental music, sound art, improv, etc.

Here's the blurb:

The Fog

Dedicated to exploring the hazy realms of experimental music, this 2

hour weekly program focuses on sound art and experimental music from

the past, present, and near future. Interviews, live studio sessions,

underground detritus, found recordings, live electronics, field

recordings, and even an occasional blues track will find themselves

blurred together by prof_lofi into a mixed bag of the bizarre.

Sundays 10pm to Midnight. SHMUFM: http://www.shmu.org.uk/shmufm.m3u

or in Aberdeen on 99.8 FM

and also, a few other bits:

Just a quick invitation to a very special event this Tuesday at

Peacock Visual Arts. We are very excited to host Jack Write, well

known saxophonist from the States who has received fantastic reviews

on both sides of the pond. If you like free, adventurous improv, DO

NOT miss this gig as it's one to remember. His full bio and reviews

are posted below. Doors open at 7pm, sound at 7:30, donations of 3 to

5 pounds accepted at the door, no one turned away for lack of funds.

Support is likely but not confirmed----so don't be late

and.....

Also a few, quick 'by the ways':

Don't miss these upcoming gigs as part of Sound:

Nov 9th:

Paella is a new music percussion ensemble combining traditional

percussion instruments with found objects. The ensemble includes

Patrick Keenan, Len Wiltshire, and Kris Elliot, joined occasionally by

Bill Thompson. Performing works by John Cage, as well as premiering

works by David Revill, Brent Fariss, and Travis Weller, the group

seeks to explore the horizons of experimental music opened by Cage and

others.

(Paella has been generously supported by SOUND, The Lemon Tree, and

local community centers)

Friday 9 November 2007, 7.45pm

Picture Gallery, University of Aberdeen, Marischal College, Broad

Street, Aberdeen

Tickets: Admission free

s•o•u•n•d event - Paella - 09 November 2007 @ 7.45pm

and:

Nov 28th:

RHODRI DAVIES & MARK WASTELL+ support

Rhodri Davies, amplified harp and electronics, and Mark Wastell,

amplified textures, are the core members of Broken Consort. They have

been performing together in various groups since 1995. Through

combining acoustic and electronic instruments, they explore the nature

of space, silence, noise and electronic sound.

Wednesday 28 November 2007, 8pm

The Lemon Tree, 5 West North Street, Aberdeen

Tickets: 6

subject to booking fee

To book: 01224 642230 or The Lemon Tree - Live Music, Theatre, Comedy, Dance and more in Aberdeen

s•o•u•n•d event - Rhodri Davies & Mark Wastell, + support - 28 November 2007 @ 8pm

Thanks again...hope to see you at the gigs, or sense you listening

over the wire(less),

Bill

......

jack wright

Spring Garden Music

http://www.springgardenmusic.com/sounds.html

Over the past twenty-five years Jack Wright has been a bold

saxophonist, as well as an influential musical personality. Either on

tour or organizing the next one, he has played in virtually every

venue available to experimental improvised music in the US. He toured

in Europe extensively in the 1980's and began again on a regular basis

in 2000; in Europe, he is mostly based in Paris.

In 1982 Wright began Spring Garden Music as a vehicle for

organizing an improvisational music community, and as a label on which

he and his partners record. As a musical explorer, his music passes

through radical shifts of style and approach from one year to the

next, yet always somehow identifiable as his own. These days he is

playing mostly alto and soprano saxophones, in every possible

direction, sometimes barely recognizable as those instruments. He

lives in Easton Pennsylvania, which enables him to commute easily to

NYC and Phila.

"Raw, visceral, urgent, his music demands to be heard." The Wire, Dec. 2006

The Washington Post says, "In the rarefied, underground world of

experimental free improvisation, saxophonist Jack Wright is king". And

a German publication, Bad Alchemy, had this to say of his solo:

"Wright does not make music, he embodies it, he transforms it with a

naivet of another order. It grows into a sound river, he is part of

the diaphragm through which the heterogeneous whispers."

Jack has over sixty partners around the US and in Europe with whom he

plays on his travels and records. Some of his recent partners in

Europe have been: Michel Doneda, soprano sax; Agnes Palier, vocalist;

Olivier Toutlemond, percussion; Fabrizio Spera, drums; Alberto Braida,

piano; Sebastien Cirotteau, trumpet; Marlene Jobstl, butoh dancer;

Pascal Battus, table guitar; Jean-Philippe Gross, electronics; Sharif

Sehnaoui, guitar; Christine Sehnaoui, alto sax; Stephane Rives,

soprano sax; Jean-luc Guionnet, alto sax; David Chiesa, double bass;

Michael Griener percussion and Sabine Vogel flute of Berlin; Le Quan

Ninh, percussion; Barre Philipps, double bass; Veryan Weston, piano,

and Phil Durrant, English laptop musician.

His most recent tours have been with Fabrizio Spera and Alberto Braida

in Italy (upcoming tour in Europe in fall 2007); with Agnes Palier

and Olivier Toutlemond in France-Switzerland-Germany (and a US tour in

spring 2007); a solo tour in Finland, Sweden, and Norway; with Michael

Johnsen, electronicist, in France, Holland, Belgium, etc., joined by

Sebastien Cirotteau; with Michel Doneda and NYC percussionist Tatsuya

Nakatani (From Between Trio) in Japan, France, and the US; with Wade

Matthews, bass cl, flute, electronics, in the US; with Carol Genetti,

and Jon Mueller (NomTom trio), in the US; Nate Wooley, trumpet, of NYC

in Europe; cellist Bob Marsh of the Bay area; Michael Griener and

Sabine Vogel of Berlin; Reuben Radding, NYC bassist; Phil Durrant, in

the US; and with trumpet player Tom Djll from Oakland and soprano sax

player Bhob Rainey on the West Coast.

He has recorded over 35 albums since 1982.

For a full bio, writings, sound files and list of recordings visit his

website: Spring Garden Music

feature article in Signal to Noise Magazine:

April 2003

2001 interview with John Berndt

Documentation and Discourse and also available in French

on here website, as published in Improjazz Jan/Feb. 2004)

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news

soundasart : SoundasArt

'...of memory and dreams.' out now on 7hings

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"The more you think about things the weirder they seem." -Calvin

Hi Everyone,

Just an early reminder that our next Burning Harpsichord event is coming up at the Lemon Tree this September the 26th, so mark your calendars now!

Doors open at 7pm, music promptly at 7:30 and it's all for the low, low price of 6. There is also a free talk by Lee Patterson at Peacock Visual Arts (just around the corner) at 5pm before the show.

For this edition of the Burning Harpsichord, we have Owen Green opening the evening with a combination of found objects, interactive software and electronics, all combined in an improvised display that might include tickling and growls. Formerly based in London, Owen is now in Edinburgh where he continues to explore his own varied interests-from experimental hiphop to interactive electronics. Check him out here: http://www.owengreen.net/

Following Owen, will be Manchester based Lee Patterson. Lee is a sound artist with a growing reputation within the international arena. Lee approaches experimental music from a truly fresh perspective. Almost like a 19th century botanist, Lee hunts for microsonic environments using everything from contact mics to hydrophones, and improvises with these found sounds, combining them with live processes-not computer processing-but actual 'real' processing such as contact mic'd sparklers, boiling bottles, and found objects coaxed into audibility.

More info: http://www.myspace.com/therealleepatterson

Lee will be giving a short talk on his practice at Peacock Visual Arts before the show at 5pm sharp. Free. Map here:http://www.peacockvisualarts.com/about-us/

All in all, another good one coming up. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

More info, and advanced tix available here: http://www.lemontree.org/music-lee-patterson.html

See you there,

Bill

http://billthompson.org/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundasart/

'...of memory and dreams.' out now on http://seventhings.co.uk

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"The more you think about things the weirder they seem." -Calvin

Choose the right car based on your needs. Check out Yahoo! Autos new Car Finder tool.

Sorry about this, I'm not really sure who to ask for help about this..

Long story short, our Landlord has sent us a letter which we only received today. It was first class, so it was sent in the last couple of days. The letter is dated May 31st.

They want us to sign another contract to stay here for the next year (we've already been here a year) AND they want to increase our rent by 70. Our withstanding contract says that after we have been here a year we can stay here month by month at the original agreed price. It doesn't say anything about rent increases or having to sign a new contract.

I put down the date we got the letter because they want us to send them a cheque for the arrears for June.

So basically, they want to increases our rent by 70 starting from the 1st June, and the letter they sent us is dated 31st May.

Surely they can't do this to us?

We've been on the phone to him just a couple of weeks ago to say that we're going to stay on for a year, and he didn't say anything about new contracts or rent increases then, and also, we were on the phone to him THIS WEEK because our roof was leaking and he failed to mention it to us then.

Well, as far as I understand it, yes and no. A contract for rental, say a lease up to a year, means that during the lease they can't increase your rent...but once that lease expires, until you sign a new lease, usually there's a provision to allow you to go month to month...and often, there's a small increase as an incentive for you to sign another year long contract. But once that contract's over, they are allowed to increase your rent since you're not protected by that contract, if you see what I mean. As far as not giving you one month's notice, I think that's pretty shifty, but probably legal...again, once the contract is over, both parties are in a much looser, and less secure position.

It's today! Come on down for the workshop at about 210, starts at 230...bring an instrument or something to play...you don't have to be a virtuoso to participate! and then the gig is tonight, doors 730, music at 8...gonna be a good one!

Bill

No, you're totally right! Dysleiax got me again

Reminder: THE BURNING HARPSICHORD: Kieth Rowe and Guests, June 11th, Lemon Tree

Hey everyone,

Just a reminder about the gig! Workshop at 230 (come early, bring a soundmaking thing) and gig at 7:30...and now NAMO opening...it's gonna be a great night!

Bill

Hi Everyone,

In case you haven't heard, the new experimental music series at the Lemon Tree has been dubbed "The Burning Harpsichord" and have we got a good one coming up for you next week!

The Burning Harpsichord presents:

Keith Rowe with guests Bennett Hogg and Noma

June 11th, at The Lemon Tree, doors 7:30/sound at 8pm, 6

Workshop with Keith Rowe same date/place at 2:30, 5

or 10 for both if paid for in advance.

Box office: 01224-642230

http://www.lemontree.org/

http://www.lemontree.org/music-keith-rowe.html

Keith Rowe visits Aberdeen again after last years SoundAsArt performance with Rajesh Mehta and Rohan de Saram. This year he'll be performing a solo set as well as giving a workshop and talk the same day as the show. (Bring An Instrument to the Workshop!) If you're unfamiliar with Rowe's work, he is THE progenitor for most of the experimental-table top electronics you hear today. A guitar laid flat on a table approached as a 'found object' forms the heart of his approach, and then Rowe combines this with everything from toothbrushes, fans, springs, credit cards, knives, laptops, bluetooth devices, and more to create sonically rich yet subtle textures. Check out the many links on google, such as this one: http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/musician/mrowe.html

Also performing will be Bennett Hogg and his posse from the Newcastle area. Bennett heads the improv course at Newcastle Uni and has played all over the world with various artists. He hosted myself and Patrick Keenan during the Atom tour earlier this year and we had a chance to play with some of Bennett's group and were well impressed! Think post-free-jazz, no post-improv-meets-noise, but still with an instrumental, response-based approach and you sort of can imagine how they work together. Using everything from hacked toys, samplers, laptops, oboe, clarinet and bass guitar, they discover new landscapes of sounds colliding and eliding together. Not to be missed!

And opening the evening will be another special treat, NOMA from Glasgow. NOMA (John Cromar) is active in the experimental scene in Glasgow playing with many underground groups such as Opaque, Sinister Waltz, Black Sun and Ww cat. Much in the character of our other guests, he uses everything from piano to household appliances with a particular taste for magnetic fields. Check out his myspace for more info: http://www.myspace.com/noma1

Thank you if you've made it this far. Please come down for the workshop and the show. If you're planning on doing the workshop, try to send me an email (billthompson@billthompson.org) so that I can plan for numbers..otherwise I'll just see you there.

Talk to you soon,

Bill

PS please pass this around if you know of anyone who might be interested.

thanks for a great night Bill,looking forward to the next one

Thanks for coming! Actually, thanks for everyone for coming! Keep June in mind for the next one with Keith Rowe...details to be nailed down soon

Bill

Bill - good for you for organising this, and best of luck for the proposed quarterly events

See you on the 28th.

Thanks...really hoping we can get a good turnout tomorrow...Doh, it's football night but couldn't forsee this. Anyway, here's hoping we get an ok turnout to convince the LT of the interest in our community.

hope to see you all there!

Bill

sounds great, are there any slots (headline or support) avalable ?

Cheers

Craig

Hi Craig, the headline slots are taken by out of towners but we should have some support ones available (as well as another series elsewhere in town I'm working on.) Please send me some info about yourself and if you want maybe a cdr (just a burned copy if you do.) We're still tying down dates so nothing specific to say yet.

Talk to you soon,

Bill

Hi everyone,

I've posted a similar announcement in the Gigs forum (and will leave the particulars of this specific evening there), but I wanted to make sure people knew about a new experimental music series that is kicking off March 28th at the Lemon Tree.

This initial event will feature myself and many local well known improvisers and electronic artists, with a heavy dose of video, but if support is strong, it will lead to the Lemon Tree committing to a quarterly experimental music series in which we hope to bring the likes of Keith Rowe, Mark Wastell, Lee Patterson, Toshi Nakamura, and others over the next several months.

Please come out and make your support felt for bringing something different to Aberdeen. And better yet, sign up for the mailing list to be informed about the upcoming quarterly events (and to demonstrate an interest!) Just send your info (name, address, email, phone number (phone to be used only in the event of canceled events)) to marketing@lemontree.org with 'experimental music mailing list' in the subject line.

Thanks again, hope to see you there!

Bill

Hi everyone,

Hope you're doing well. I'm writing to invite you to a special evening at the Lemon Tree on the 28th of March (730 pm, 5 pounds.) As some of you know I was fortunate enough to be awarded a PRS Atom award to support a tour of the UK and this is the 'official' Aberdeen event.

What makes it even more special (besides the excellent support) is the fact that it kicks off a quarterly experimental music series that the Lemon Tree has agreed to host if we can show decent support for each event.

As you know, even with resounding support these concerts have more to do with '

'Artistic Intent' then commercial viability, so it's no small thing for the Lemon Tree to go out on a limb to support us. So if you make it out to an experimental music event this year, please make it this one!

And here's a few more reasons why you should come out:

Opening the evening will be local experimental artist Adam H. Taylor who although being on the scene for quite some time with de Barros , The Magdalene Cox and others, is currently making his name known as a solo experimentalist under the moniker Hypnoerotomachia. Check our the track "Wannsee 1 " on his myspace here for a taste: http://www.myspace.com/paintblackeverythingandwhiteblanksilence

Following Adam with be local experimental improv group Mickel Mass (who if you recall opened for Faust in Aberdeen and then went on to play at their avant-garde festival in Germany this summer.) As you know, you can never anticipate exactly what these guys will do or who they'll do it with or to (I myself remember vividly having dishes dropped on me to begin a set when I was sitting in with them one night!) Here's a link to some sounds: http://www.myspace.com/mickelmass

Accompanying M.M. with be a video by Stephen Morrison (who has worked with Andy Smith and Patrick Keenan on more than one occasion...you may have seen Steve's work at one of the EMS gigs I hosted at the University of Aberdeen last year.) Steve has been kind enough to compose this video especially for this evening.

And finishing up the night will be myself and Patrick Keenan. Some may remember Patrick's work on the Harpsichord event at Peacocks almost exactly a year ago today. We've been working as a duet since then and much of this tour involves myself and Patrick developing material for a release next year. (As always, info on myself and upcoming events are available here: http://billthompson.org )

Accompanying us with be Patrick's brother (talented family!) Jack Keenan who will be improvising video using hacked TV's, high-end web-cams, laptops running Jitter, and a few other goodies (if I were a video artist, I'd want to be just like Jack.)

So, there you have it. Sure to be a good night. Doors open at 730, the music starts at 8pm, and it's 5 pounds to get in.

The Lemon Tree has asked if at all possible to pre-order your tickets and if you're comfortable, to sign up for the mailing list to be informed about the upcoming quarterly events. If you plan on just paying at the door, you can still sign up by sending your info (name, address, email, phone number (to be used only in the event of canceled events)) to marketing@lemontree.org with 'experimental music mailing list' in the subject line.

Thanks again, hope to see you there!

Bill

ps...just to wet your appetite, (and none of this is confirmed yet) but I'm hoping to bring Keith Rowe back to Aberdeen, Rhodri Davies and Mark Wastell (as Broken Consort), Lee Paterson (recently performed at Instal festival in Glasgow) and others for the quarterly events. Come show your support!

pss...errr, should I mention experimental improvisor Will Gutherie's gig on April 3rd at the Cathedral?....hm, check here for details http://billthompson.org.